End-gate fastener



% Levi/1? Wells.

L. P. WELLS.

END GATE FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16. 1919 1,332, 786. Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

INVENTOR l TTORNEYS LEVI 1. WELLS, OF GERING, NEBRASKA.

END-GATE FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

.App1i'cation filed April 16, 1919. Serial No. 290,443.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, LEVI P. WELLS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Gering, in the county of Scotts Bluff and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in End-Gate Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in end gate fastenings for wagon boxes, and it consists in the constructions, combinations and arrangements herein described and claimed.

The foremost object of my invention is to provide in a hinged end gate of the character herein disclosed, combined hinge and metal'cleating devices, and end gate clamping mechanism, bfy the use of which the end gate will be of a ar more durable and practical nature.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a section through a Wagon box, showing the improved hinged end gate in side elevation,

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing the clamping members of the clamping bar, and

Fig. 4 is a detail clamping bar.

In carrying out my invention I provide an end gate 1 which comprises a'relatively long part 2 and a shorter part 3. The end gate members 2 and 3 are hin ed together at 4 by a hinge arrangement w ich extends the full width of the end gate in order to sheathe and strengthen the ends of the members 2 and 3.

To this end, the hinge comprises metal sheaths 5 and 6 which are suitably secured at 7 to the respective members 2 and 3, and are formed with the customary hinge knuckles in which the hinge pin 8 fits to hold the parts together. Of course the abutting edges of the members 2 and 3 and consequently of the sheaths 5 and 6, are square. The other ends of the members may be rounded, but whether they are square or rounded, they are also sheathed by metal plates 9 and 10 which are suitably fastened in place at 11.

perspective View of the Preferably, the ends of the end gate just referred to, are rounded so that this particular type of end gate may be used in conjunction with the cleating devices referred to in my patent on end gate fasteners No. 1,275,338 of August 13, 1918. By sheathing the ends of the end gate, all danger of splitting and swelling is avoided.

A double clamping bar 12, secured at 13 and 14 to the member 3 of the end gate, constitutes the means whereby the hinged end gate is actuated and the sides 15 of the wagon box are firmly clamped against the ends of the end gate. To this end, the clamping bar 12 has projections or hooks 16 which receive the heads of the threaded clamp hooks 17 that are suitably carried by the Wagon box 15. A handle nut 18 oneach clamp hook, serves to draw each side 15 against the end gate by virtue of pulling on the clamping bar 12, and thus firmly lock the parts together, as referred to above.

The clamping bar 12, instead of consisting of a straight piece running lengthwise of the end gate, consists of double rods or bars spread apart and fastened at 13, as shown, to strengthen them from warping or bending sidewise when removed from the clamp hooks. In Fig. 3, the clamp hook is shown to include a head 17 which engages the adjacent one of the hooks 16 of the clamping bar, and also includes a fingerpiece 19 by means of which the clamp hook can be more readily handled.

Emphasis can not be laid too strongly on the construction of the hinge. As stated before, this hinge consists of but two pieces of metal, exclusive of the hinge pin 8 which besides constituting the hinge, provide cleats for the respective ends or members of the end gate, extending completely across the end gate to protect said ends from splitting or warping.

It is to be observed that there is a distinct purpose in sheathing all of the contacting edges of the two-part end gate. When the clamping action takes place, the metallic sheaths prevent any mutilation of the-contacting edges, which would otherwise take place were the sheaths not provided. The clamping bar lies very close to the end gate. This is made possible by virtue of the thin metallic sheaths. Were the sheaths in the nature of thick wooden cleats on the outside, the clamping bar would have to come on top of these cleats, thereby leaving room behind the clamping bar. The clamping bar would then become convenient to tie reins thereto. This is objectionable, but the objection is overcome by the construction above described. 1

While the construction and arrangement of the end gate fastener as herein described and claimed, is that of a generally preferred form, obviously modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim 1. An end gate, comprising end gate members, sheathing means incasing the extremities of said members the full Width of the end gate to prevent-multilating the ends during clamping, and -means hinging said members together, comprising a single combined hinge and sheathing portion incasing the abutting edges of the end gate members the full width of the end gate to preventmutilating said edges during clamping, said portions having a connecting hinge pin.

2. Combined clamping and actuating means in a hinged end gate, comprising a clamp bar consisting of a double rod structure with hook ends and relatively closely disposed portions. at the extremities, but spread apart centrally to strengthen said structure.

'3. An end gate, comprising end gate members, sheathing means aflixed to and extending the full Width of the extremities of the end gate to prevent warping and splitting,

combined sheathing and hinge portions atfixed to the abutting edges of said members and extending the full width of the end gate to prevent warping and-splitting, and

clamping means for cooperating with companion clamping devices on the sides of the wagon box, comprising a double rod structure centrally spread apart for strength, and fastened to one end gate member, all of said sheathing means being of relatively thin metal to enable the rod structure to lie close and prevent passing reins or similarobjects therebehind.

4:. In combination with wagon box sides, a two-part end gate, With means for preventing injuries to the contacting edges in clamping the end gate between the sides, including a sheath-hinge and end sheaths extending .the full widthof the end gate; a clamp bar carried by one end gate part and extending from sideto side; and clamping means carried by each: side, operatively associated with said clamping bar to either clamp ,the entire end gate between thesides, whereupon all contacting edges are tightly engaged, or clamp only one ,part againstthe adjacent side, leaving the contacting edge tight, While the other clamping means is loosened to enable the corresponding gate partto swing,

5. The combination, .of wagon box sides carrying suitable clamping means including clamp hooks with handle nuts, an end gate consisting of end gate members, metallic sheaths at the extremities the full width 01":

the end gate, hinging means for said members includlng combined single-piece metallic sheaths and hinge portions for each I abutting edge extending-the vfull width of the end gate, all of said sheaths protecting the contacting edges of the end-gate from mutilation during clamping, and a clamping bar with hook endsfor cooperating with said clamp-ing means to draw the sides against the end gate, and including a rod structure centrally spread apart for strength, suitably secured to one of the end' gate members, and lying close {to the end gate structure by reason of said -metallic sheaths, thereby preventing the passage of reins or similar objects behind said clamping means. 

